Projects The Hardscrabble Hop-Up; A 1940's Style 'T' RPU build

Haha! Is that the T in boxes?

I am really humbled by the kind words, but this build thread is a disaster. I really ought to delete the whole thing and re-start it.

 

Yep, everything in the two cardboard "boxes" except the panel behind the seat (whatever that's called -"bum panel?") There's even a seat riser in there with two T grill shells stuffed in the turtle deck shaped box. 50 pounds each, one being oversized (driver's quarter). The suitcase has a Whippet radiator top and two cheesy 60's Japanese guitars in it. Flying out with the stuff worked out to be way cheaper ( and more entertaining) than mailing it. Your build thread is awesome in its' disastrous state. Slow and steady!

 

Good to see some progress on the rpu. It's amazing how tight this 26/27s are. I have given up using my door. I'm 6'1" so not as tall as you but close. I'm running a cut down 34 pick dash so my steering wheel is probably in a different place than yours. I'm also using a 34 box with 31 model a flange. I used a 34 pitman arm with a ball and spring tie rod end and a 39 banjo wheel. My tub didn't have a seat riser so I basically built a seat floor out of 3/4 plywood with an inch rise in the front and 3 inches of foam. The back is 1/2 plywood and an inch of hard foam. It's still really tight, my shoulders are right above the quarters and the steering wheel is in my lap. The longer column is better for the legs while driving but makes it real tough to use the door. Doesn't bother me to much but I'd like to eventually run the lakes pipe full length to the back which kills the passenger door for my wife. I put the front floor board at about a 60 degree angle compared to whatever the stock t is. That helped with the clutch and brake pedals (which I ended up not having to modify) and gained a little more leg room.


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That's rad! You can actually tell people that your T once went over 300 mph!

Yeah, no such luck using the door. I have about 3 1/2" between the door opening and steering wheel, so I'll end up either using the passenger side or opening the door and stepping over into the car. Not a big deal, just a minor inconvenience. I'll have to look into messing with the toe board...that might help too, but as I have it now, it's surprisingly comfortable.

I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with my dash...would love to see yours!

 

No way man! Threads like these emphasize the journey.

 

I agree unless a build is done and someone is just putting it all together to show the process or you do this as a job and document your day to day work this is what a real life build is like for most people. My build thread is even worse but it is what it is life gets in the way and sometimes working on our projects is not the most important thing so it takes time.

 

don't delete it! the build is prefect, life isn't.
the way i am doing my car is not the most efficient [interior then new motor then paint] is not the most efficient but it is the way i have to do it. i blame having to work for a living.

 

Love this car (and the thread). I'll be watching this one; please don't delete it.

 

Toss in another +1 for keeping the thread. Helps me remember most people put a car together slowly, and with hitches along the way.

Love that gauge cluster...cleaned up nice! And I'm lovin' the build as a whole, like everyone else. The devil's in the details and they're lookin' good!

 

I echo what everyone else says! Please keep it going!

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It's all about the journey.... Life gets in the way, but it's all part of the journey. Most of us here are in the same boat. Keep going!

 

Another vote for keeping it going.

 

Hey look up Fatman steering wheel........ very traditional.

 

c'mon man...we need more visual stimulus

 

i know how you feel about the steering wheel/ column issue.
Im 6.1 and i have to be sitting low in the car my pet hate is seeing people hanging out of roadsters.
i've used a 40 ford box reversed. i chopped around 7" out of the column but its still pretty far back to clear my knees. good job i'm having no doors!

 

Looks good! Mine is WAY back...almost to the trailing edge of the door, but it's very comfortable. Glad I made the switch! Pics to come soon.

 

Thanks fellas, that means a lot. Just worried this whole thing is way too 'twisty' and incoherent to make sense of. Note to guys starting projects; figure out what you want at the beginning - changing your mind mid-stream only adds time & money, haha!

Will get some more pics up soon.

 

"Twisty and incoherent" I think that will be the name of my next build thread if I ever finish the current one LOL!

 

I ended up having three threads. One for the tear down. One for the frame build. And one for the remaining build up.

When I look back at my initial plan in the first thread, it makes me laugh. I was so misguided and confused on what I wanted. I had at least two different decades worth of styling ideas, street rod parts, you name it.
Now when I read back on it, it makes me laugh. I was like a kid in a candy store running around grabbing at everything.
BUT, it was part of my build process. The learning. The understanding. And I'm ok with that.

 

With the kids in school and work settling down into a much more predictable routine, finally got some time to get out in the garage and do some tinkering.

No news on the motor...still waiting, but I'm not really in desperate need of it at the moment. Still lots of chassis work to complete and I'm waiting on some parts to get that together too. In the meantime, and out of sheer boredom, I started messing with the body some. Found out my doors aren't quite as pristine as I thought they were;



Looks like they were bolted shut at some point (body x-member has been cut for shifter clearance as well - could have been a roundy-round racer in a past life) - a previous owner tacked the holes in the driver's door up and slapped bondo over the top. Holes in the passenger door were backed with tin and JB Welded/filled with 1/8" of mud. A little disappointing, but not horrible - all things considered. No rust to speak of - at least, not in the doors.

Got some steering goodies from my pals @Carter and @Chris (thanks for the help, guys!) Here it is mocked up;



That's a Model A sector housing, '34 (15:1) box, '34 sector, '34 worm, and '35 steering shaft. Brings the steering wheel 1 3/4" closer to my body than the 'long' Model A 2-tooth setup. I now have plenty of room to tuck my knees between the wheel & dash and can operate the pedals comfortably. It took some effort, but, at 6'3" I'd rather sit in it rather than on it - wouldn't have been possible without the longer steering shaft. Only complaint is that there ain't much room between the wheel and the body when entering & exiting. Looks like I'll be stepping into it or using the passenger door.

The steering box/sector housing holes in the frame were elongated approx. 3/16" to allow the wheel to drop to an acceptable level. The top of the horn button/light switch sits just about even with the cowl - quite an accomplishment in a car with a cowl at least 4-5" shorter than a Model A!

 

If you've been following this thread or peeking in on Instagram, you'll know that I've agonized over my dash layout for months. I have a dash-disorder to say the least. After buying and selling a number of different clusters and wasting 2 different sheets of 1/4" plywood for mockups - I stumbled across this '32 pickup dash my new buddy (and virtual next-door neighbor @dwest999) had leftover from a former project;


Measurements were taken, a deal was struck, and the dash came home with me. After some study and careful measuring, I whittled away at the T dash, leaving only the mounting flange and the surrounding 1" of metal. The stock T dash rolls 'in' (toward the firewall) across the top at a slightly tighter radius - and altogether different arc than the '32...leaving this section intact seemed to make the most sense and would allow for an easier transition to the bottom half of the '32 dash.

What remained of the T dash was clamped to the top of the '32 panel and a preliminary cut line was scribed into the latter. Then the ultimate apostasy - the '32 dash was cut, Lord forgive me! Complimenting sections were clamped together and mounted in the car;


While not a bad fit, the '32 dash is quite a bit 'shapelier' than the original (flat) T unit. Not only is it concave along the vertical axis, it's also concave along its width (horizontal axis). A relief cut or two along the bottom edge and a few hours of hammer & dolly work got her pretty close;


Still have a few high & low spots to even out before welding, but not bad for my first 'real' metalworking project. Here's what it looks like bolted into the car...I think the curves really work with the shape of the T tub;


Now I just gotta find a 2 3/8" back-mount SW ammeter & temp gauge and an Auburn speedo to go with! Will probably make an under-dash panel for the hand pump and fuel pressure gauge.

 

so glad you did this vs. the A dash. Looks amazing!

 

Dash is perfect!

 

That dashboard is perfection to a T..

.. See what I did there?


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I like it. I didn't have enough time or an original dash so I just cut the ends down and pounded the reveal to match the cowl at the corners.


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The dash looks factory, nice job ! JW

 

Yeah, your dash turned out great!

 

Great, now I have a dash delima. Veddy Nice!

--louis

 

Looking good, stay the course.

 

note to self...look up 'apostasy'